The click of a shuttering camera can be heard at nearly every event at West. Students wearing a press pass that shines on their shoulder like a badge of honor slide across gym floors and pull their peers out of class for a “quick interview.” After almost nine long months, the sight of freshly printed yearbooks being gawked upon and dissected by students is not just a silly scene- It is the great feat of Ms. Mackenzie Day’s yearbook team and their dedication to capture an entire school year of memories in just one book.
With every new school year, a new staff of West’s best student journalists take on the immense task of formulating a book that represents the diverse and unique high school experience of almost every student at West. Recently this year’s team grandly revealed the yearbook theme for the 2025-2026 school year, “In the moment.”
From pep rallies, to homecoming, to senior activity week, the main way to capture the moment is with first-hand photo coverage. And West’s yearbookers are not afraid to strike a pose to get a good pic.
“I remember one time I had to look so crazy at a softball game. I was posing from behind the net like a stalker just to get the best shots,” Daniah Jackson, Co-editor in chief of the 2026 yearbook said.
Yearbookers also have to caption almost every one of these photos that they capture with names, grades and descriptions, which means they must venture to school events and talk to their peers directly to get boots on the ground coverage.
“Yearbook honestly helped me get to know people. Getting coverage pushed me to put myself out there because I had to go to more games and school events.” Nabel Hanandeh, 12, a yearbook team member said.
Yearbookers aren’t just famous within their classroom though, they’ve become a legendary sight to everyone at West.
“When I think of the yearbook team, I think of really cool people. At this point, they’re almost like celebrities, when I see a pep pass coming toward me I know to start preparing my answer at that moment.” Rylie Brown, 11 said.
Nonetheless, some of Yearbook’s finest have had to come up with unique ways to candidly capture a moment.
“People would run and hide from pictures, so I had to sneak up and whisper, ‘Don’t worry this won’t take very long,’ which is kind of scary in hindsight.” Braylon Coward, 12, co-editor in chief of the yearbook, said.
Despite the hard work and perseverance it takes to produce a yearbook, the team members say they’d do it 10 times over and suggest becoming involved in yearbook to anyone who gets the opportunity to.
“I would recommend joining yearbook to anyone interested because it is such a welcoming community and you learn to work closely with other people.” Eve Miloshewski, 12, a copy editor for the yearbook said.
Together with an amazing team of editors, photographers, copiers and of course help from Ms. Day, the team has been able to successfully embrace the many spectacular moments of this school year at West. Forever cementing the mark of the 2026 school year in the history of West.
“My favorite memory from our time in yearbook would honestly have to be putting in the hours with my fellow leadership team. Sometimes we had to stay up till 11 pm on school nights getting stuff done, but in the end it always ended up being worth it.” Austin Cramer, 12, the yearbook’s head of photography, said.
